In depth: HTC One M8 Mini release date, news and rumors

The HTC One M8 has only just gone out the door and already we're hearing rumors of an HTC One M8 Mini.

Initial mention of the Mini appeared mere hours after the M8's launch, as reliable tipster @evleaks tweeted "M8 mini: Check." Several days later a blog post by Swedish mobile network Telia briefly popped up, listing the HTC One M8 Mini.

None of which is really surprising, aside from how soon after the M8's launch it all happened, as HTC released an HTC One Mini, so an M8 Mini was always likely.

It looks like it might not be called the HTC One M8 Mini though, instead going by HTC One Mini 2, which is probably a good thing, as the M8 moniker always seemed a bit clunky.

Since, more rumors have emerged and these later ones are starting to shed some light on what we can expect from the device.

So far these rumors are fairly few in number, but there are whispers surrounding the size, build, specs and release date of the HTC One M8's smaller sibling and as that release date gets closer more rumors and leaks are bound to flood in.

So keep your eyes glued to this page, because we'll be updating you every step of the way.

Cut to the chaseWhat is it? A smaller, cheaper version of the excellent One M8When is it out? May is the popular optionWhat will it cost? Probably sub-£400, $600, AU$700 SIM free

HTC One M8 Mini release date and price

An unnamed source inside a UK retailer has told 3G.co.uk that the HTC One M8 Mini will be with us in May.

Obviously since the source is anonymous it's hard to say how reliable that information is, but with rumors about the device emerging the very same day as the HTC One M8 launched it's believable that the Mini could be here that soon.

May has shown up again in relation to the HTC One M8 Mini release date, with Taiwanese site ePrice claiming the handset will hit the market then.

There's no word yet on what the phone might retail for but the HTC One Mini launched at around £380+ (around $600, AU$700) SIM free, so there's a fair chance the HTC One M8 Mini will do the same.

HTC One M8 Mini display

It looks like the HTC One M8 Mini will have a 4.5-inch display, as both @evleaks and 3G.co.uk's anonymous sources have said as much with no dissenting voices.

@evleaks went on to suggest that it would have a 720p screen, which would make it both slightly bigger and give it a slightly lower pixel density than the 4.3-inch 720p HTC One Mini.

HTC One M8 Mini processor and RAM

@evleaks had things to say about the HTC One M8 Mini's processor too, claiming that it would be a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 affair, which would be a substantial boost over the dual-core HTC One Mini.

Taiwanese site ePrice has also listed it as being rumored to have 1GB of RAM, which would be the same as the original HTC One Mini. It's also widely been reported that the same ePrice article mentioned a 1.7GHz processor, though there's no evidence of that now, so it may have been a mistake. If the phone does have a 1.7GHz quad-core processor though then it will be a match for the original HTC One in clock speed.

It still wouldn't quite match the 2.3GHz quad-core, 2GB of RAM monster that is the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, a phone which sports exactly the same power setup as its bigger brother, the Xperia Z1. That said the Z1 Compact is a touch more expensive to compensate.

HTC One M8 Mini chassis

The build of the HTC One M8 Mini is likely to be quite similar to that of the HTC One M8. That seems a fairly safe assumption as the One Mini kept most of the styling of the HTC One intact, so expect a premium aluminium design.

Meanwhile @evleaks claims the HTC One M8 Mini will have on-screen buttons, which seems likely given the One M8 does.

More recently we've possibly caught our first glimpse of the HTC One Mini 2 in some leaked images. The handset is in a case so many details are hidden, but you can see enough to make out that it has an aluminium build like its big brother and that it has dual front facing speakers, but that its camera only has one sensor, rather than the Duo camera set up found on the HTC One M8.

HTC One M8 camera

Rounding out a surprisingly comprehensive specs listing, @evleaks claims that the HTC One M8 Mini will have a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP one on the front.

This claim dated back to before the HTC One M8 was revealed and in light of that sticking with a 4 UltraPixel snapper we'd be surprised if the Mini had a 13MP sensor, though @evleaks is generally fairly reliable.

The 5MP camera on the front is more believable as that matches what the HTC One M8 has.

If these camera specs sound familiar you're not wrong, as the HTC Desire 816 sports the same 13MP and 5MP package. The One M8 Mini is likely to carry a higher price tag than this plastic clan, 5.5-inch mid-ranger though.

Our first real images of the One Mini 2 also show it as only having one camera sensor, so it doesn't look like there'll be any depth of field trickery here.